ComingSoon Senior Editor Spencer Legacy spoke with Javon ‘Wanna” Walton and Dascha Polanco about their roles in the upcoming Prime Video movie. Samaritan. They talked about voice acting and doing their own stunts.
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“Thirteen-year-old Sam Cleary suspects that his mysterious and reclusive neighbor, Mr. Smith, is actually a legend hiding in plain sight,” reads the film’s synopsis. Twenty-five years ago, Granite City’s superpowered vigilante Samaritan was reported dead after a vicious warehouse battle with his rival Nemesis. Most believe that he died in the fire, but some, like Sam, are hopeful that he is still alive. Now that crime is on the rise, Sam is on a mission to lure Samaritan out of hiding from him to save the city from ruin.”
Spencer’s Legacy: Wanna, how has your boxing experience prepared you for this more action-packed role?
Javon “Want” Walton: I think what really helped me is that I also have a background in gymnastics. I have done gymnastics and I still box, but I also have experience in boxing. So I’ve been doing both for a long time. I don’t do gymnastics anymore, but I think they both really helped me with the stunts I was doing at the top. You’ll see me, on the roof, boxing a little bit with Sly, and that was a lot of fun. I love that. And you’ll see some more crazy stunts for me, like climbing a building. I really think my experience, in general, has really helped prepare me for this kind of thing.
Dascha, you said you did your own stunts. How was that?
Dasha Polanco: It was exciting! explosions! Motivating, inspiring. It definitely prepared me for more. I’m ready for more action movies and maybe, you know, another movie with Sylvester. Who knows?
Maybe the lead role?
Dasha Polanco: I’m ready! I’m ready. You know, it’s my time. Everyone has their time and my time is coming, you better believe. So I’m ready for anything. I am ready for everything. Yes sir.
Wanna, you’ve been in a commercial with The Rock, you’ve been in the movie with Stallone. What other legends do you want to work with?
Javon “Want” Walton: I’d say one I want to work with…there are so many amazing actors out there. I would love to work with Robert de Niro. I want to learn from people who just… I want to work with people who are amazing actors that I can learn from in general. I love that I did that in Samaritan.
Dascha is phenomenal, Pilou is phenomenal. Sly is amazing. He is phenomenal, they are all phenomenal. I loved working with them, but I would love to work with Leonardo DiCaprio or Robert de Niro. I love working with people who push themselves and strive for that bigger goal, who want to always improve and not just be okay with where they are, you know? They want to find all the ways to level up.
Dascha, you’ve also done some voice work recently. Do you have any preference as to what kind of role, be it voice or live action?
Javon “Want” Walton: Voices are fun!
Dasha Polanco: Listen, I like the flexibility. I like the versatility. Obviously… I’m ten years old now, it’s a decade in this industry and it shows that I can be a superhero too. I can also be a leading role. I can also do dubbing. I was talking about Wanna, I’ve done a couple of movies in the last couple of months, and it shows me in a different light where I’m funny… it’s a funny movie.
So although voice acting, for me, you don’t have to deal with all the makeup. You go in there, you can go in your pajamas, and you’re behind the microphone and you use your essence and your voice. That’s great. But I also like the camera in my face, that’s why I’m an actor, you know? I’m an artist, you have to do it.
Javon “Want” Walton: Nothing can be done without love for it.
